One Million Pillowcase Challenge Sew-a-Thon - Give With Joy

 We are thrilled and honored to be a participant in the One Million Pillowcase Challenge Sew-a-Thon Blog Hop! Coats and FreeSpirit have sponsored this fabulous charitable challenge for many years and the Sew-a-Thon Blog Hop is all about inspiration and helping others - it's perfect for you! Learn more about the Blog Hop and Sew-a-Thon, by clicking here.

 

 Those who make are the most generous people I know and I’m convinced that the act of making expands our hearts and increases our capacity to see the value in giving. Makers are always the first to respond to need and they usually show up with every other maker they can find. Since the One Million Pillowcase Challenge needs your joyous making help for a September Sewathon - let’s talk pillowcase. Stay with me and you can find out how to help at the end!

“No one has ever become poor by giving.” ― Anne Frank, diary of Anne Frank: the play

Pillowcases make fabulous gifts and are a tremendously easy way to perk up your own home décor. There are lots of options to consider and we have three yummy possibilities to inspire you. We’ve used fabrics from Free Spirit’s 2016 Fall collections that you’re going to love - Rosealea by Nel Whatmore, Isabelle by  Dena Designs and Sadie's Dance Card by Tonya Whelan. Click here to see 50 free pillowcase patterns on the One Million Pillowcase Challenge web site.

“To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own.” ― Abraham Lincoln

 Basic pillowcases are super-easy and super-quick to make. Novelty prints are fun to use, but there’s something totally classy and serene about a pillowcase made with basic stripes and dots. In general, you’ll want to choose three fabrics for your basic pillowcase – main, cuff and accent. Audition your fabrics by laying them out in the order they might go. Take a picture to see how the finished case will look - it's a great tool for decision making.

“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” ― Mother Teresa

Bright colors and patterns make a wonderfully bold statement and an exciting pillowcase. Audition your fabrics and think about where your pillowcase will be used and the overall look you want to achieve. If you’re making pillowcases to donate, make them as attractive as possible. The love you put in will be evident in the finished case and the recipient will instantly know that someone cares.

  

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” ― Maya Angelou

Making pillowcases is a sewing joy and it's especially delightful when you add a little variety and spark to the design. Charming fabrics become awesomely spectacular when you add interest with a scalloped cuff. Can you just imagine the smile on the face of someone in need who receives a case like this? That’s what the One Million Pillowcase Challenge is all about – miles and miles of pillowcase smiles!

   

 The Third Annual 24-Hour One Million Pillowcase Challenge Sew-a-Thon takes place this year on September 16th and 17^th. American Patchwork and Quilting, originators of the Challenge will hold a Sewathon at their headquarters in Des Moines IA. If you're not close to Des Moines there may be an event in your area or you can plan one of your own. Even a few friends sewing together can make a magnificent contribution. Click here to visit the One Million Pillowcase Challenge Sew-a-Thon web site. You'll find pillowcase patterns, groups to join and places to donate. And, above all, make, enjoy and give - someone nearby is counting on you for handmade love and encouragement!

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” ― John Bunyan

Visit the other stops on todays blog hop:

American Patchwork & Quilting

Celine Perkins

Fabri-Quilt / Paintbrush Studios 

FreeSpirit Fabrics 

Handi Quilter 

How To Sew

Jacquelynne Steves 

Make It Yourself

Martingale 

Michele Foster

Moda Fabrics

Sarah Maxwell of Designs by Sarah J)

Sheila Sinclair Snyder of License to Quilt

Timeless Treasures

Designer Spotlight - FreeSpirit presents Sundara Oasis by Dena Designs

Dena Designs' newest collection for FreeSpirit Fabric is called Sundara Oasis and is richly colorful and boldly beautiful. 

Hand-painted motifs and ornate details bring to mind the intricate patterns and textiles of India. This versatile collection can be used for any clothing or home sewing project, mixing and matching large scale medallions with all-over floral and paisley for a stunningly sophisticated look.

View the entire collection on makeitcoats.com and download our free Elephants On the March Quilt pattern - it's just perfect for this collection!

Designer Spotlight - See Dena on YouTube!

We took a trip out to California recently to hear first hand from Dena how the beautiful fabrics and patterns she creates come to life. She shared her home with us for the day and openly chatted about her newest collection (Sundara Oasis!), her inspiration process, and why she loves designing fabric with FreeSpirit.  

Check out the three videos below to hear more and get a glimpse at how her inspired home, studio, and lifestyle comes through in all she does! 

Want to know more about Dena's fabrics? You can find her designs at http://freespiritfabric.com/ and more fun ideas for how to use them in projects of your own on our Facebook page. Tell us what you love about Dena's designs in the comment section.

Did You Know.... 10 Facts about Dena Designs!

Did You Know?  10 Facts About Dena Designs!

1. I have 3 chickens, 3 doves, 3 dogs and 3 children. 

2. I am starting a fun and fashion-forward lifestyle brand for girls of all ages called Haute Girls, with my daughters Rachel and Lisa. 

3. I have known my husband since I was 15 years old. 

4. My favorite food is macaroni and cheese with toasted bread crumbs on top. 

5. I am a flea market maniac--I'll go anywhere, anytime!

6. I never painted until after I graduated from college. 

7. I used to have a crafting show on the DIY network called "Embellish This!"

8. I can't cook. 

9. I used to milk cows when I was a teenager. 

10. I'm planning on opening a flagship store in the next few years.

These fun facts about Dena got us wondering what her fans have in common with her...

Congratulations to Linda Newman – you’ve won 10 yards of Dena’s newest FreeSpirit collection, Sundara Oasis. This giveaway is now closed. 

Designer Spotlight - Dena Designs

In June we are celebrating Dena Designs as part of our Designer Spotlight program.  Stay tuned for some great blogs and don't forget to check our Facebook page and YouTube channel for more great stuff about Dena!  #DesignerSpotlight  #iamafreespirit

As President and Creative Director of Dena Designs, Inc., Dena has simultaneously managed the roles of designer, businesswoman, and mother while crafting a hugely successful company, and lifestyle brand. Today Dena Designs encompasses a wide array of products, ranging from home décor and accessories to greeting cards, gifts, craft items, books and more. What began 20 years ago as a Bloomingdale’s best selling bedding collection is now a merchandising/media program generating multimillions in worldwide sales.

While many designers rely on perfection, Dena believes that it is the process that makes the project fun and memorable. Her book "Embellish Your Home!" exemplifies Dena’s love of helping people embellish their lives. She does not believe there is some unreachable standard out there to which people must aspire. “I’m always painting,” says Dena, “or adding bits and pieces to something. I love the process! I tell people there’s no ‘right way’ or ‘wrong way.’ If you don’t like it, change it. The whole point is to have fun doing it and get real pleasure out of your results. Surround yourself with the things you love.”

Her work and philosophy appeal to an enormous consumer base eager for Dena's heart warming and accessible work, that blends classical design with sometimes quirky and fun touches. In addition to her extraordinary artistic, decorating, and craft-related skills, she has excelled in multiple medias and in business.

website: www.denadesigns.com/
facebook: www.facebook.com/denadesigns1
twitter: https://twitter.com/denadesigns
pinterest: www.pinterest.com/denadesignsinc/
instagram: https://instagram.com/denadesignsinc/
blog: http://www.denadesigns.com/blog

Tiddlywinks by Dena Designs

 Tiddlywinks is the perfect collection for little girls. It brings to life a charming little girl’s tea party with all of her favorite things: butterflies, flowers, cupcakes and more. Hand painted imagery with colorful coordinates make it fun to mix and match for any sewing project.

 

 

Birthday Party Dress pattern - oliver + s pattern.  Tea Party Set patterns available on www.makeitcoats.com

Get your Fox on!

FreeSpirit Fox Playground by Dena Designs is the perfect fabric for some foxy fun, don’t you agree?  Do you know what the fox says?  If the fox was talking to you, what would it tell you to make from some Fox Playground?  Comment here and we will select two random commentators to win six, 1 yard cuts of this fun and trendy fabric.  The grand revel of what you think the fox says will be December 30 (in other words that’s when we will announce the lucky winners)! Go . . . .

Foxes abound . . . fun and playful projects right on trend!

Sly and mischievous, foxes are popping up all over. From viral videos to jewelry, coffee mugs to handbags, it's hard to miss the adorable trickster. Right on trend, FreeSpirit Fox Playground by Dena Designs shows just how playful a fox and his friends can be riding bicycles and driving cars. It's a fun collection, perfectly suited for all sorts of delightful projects. For a whimsical applique project, check out our pillow project to a fun mask.

 

Click here for the Fox Mask instructions

 

Click here for the Fox Applique Pillow instructions

Fox Playground

Have you noticed, Foxes are hot? Perhaps it is the infamous YouTube video, “What Does the Fox Say,” with nearly 260 million views. Or maybe it is just that FreeSpirit Fox Playground by Dena Designs is just too cute not to be in vogue, especially for the discerning young lad! Here Dena, tells you what inspired this collection, available now at your local quilt shop. Stay tuned. We may not be able to tell you what the fox says but we can inspire you with fun and easy foxy projects and maybe a giveaway or two!

I have always had a huge love for fabrics and pattern mixing. When my son, David, was born (many moons ago), I had trouble finding a fabric that was just right for his nursery. As I began thinking of ideas for a new Free Spirit baby boy collection, I wanted to create something that would make you and your baby feel happy. Foxes riding bikes seemed to be the perfect subject to start out with and it just naturally developed into a collection using fun color combinations and patterns. Foxes and their woodland friends can be found riding bicycles, driving cars, and posing in hand painted picture frames. These fun foxes are just what I would have wanted to create everything from bedding to pillows to curtains in my son's room. There are also small scale coordinate patterns like chevrons and wobbly polka dots that would make fun mini-flag bunting, or for trim around a pillow. The hand drawn animals with big personalities could even be fussy-cut and adhered onto a onesie or jacket for a quick, simple embellishment. In my studio, we used the multicolored collection to create a special little teepee that's perfect for hiding out on a rainy day. Fox Playground comes in a variety of color ways, so you can play around with mixing and matching the patterns together. I hope you enjoy it!

Dena Design Giveaway -- Pretty Little Things

The month of June has flown by but we still need to get your thoughts on the Pretty Little Things in your life.  Much like the new FreeSpirit Collection Pretty Little Things (24 SKUs, available now) by Dena Designs, this fun and whimsical fabric is the perfect combination of hand painted florals and geometric prints.  Let the fresh aqua, pink, yellow and orange colors inspire your creativity.  What would you make from six, one yard cuts of Pretty Little Things.  Tell us before midnight Monday, July 3 and six random comentators will get just that chance . . . to create some pretty little things. 

Dena Designs and Pretty Little Things!

Editor's Note: Dena Designs recently introduced a new FreeSpirit Collection called Pretty Little Things (24 SKUs, 100% cotton, available June). Fun and whimsical, this collection features a combination of hand-painted florals with fresh geometric prints in aqua, pink, yellow and orange. Inspired by sweet hand-made projects, these are perfect patterns for creating pretty little things. Enjoy this post from Dena!

I have a small stash of inexpensive photo albums and scrapbooks that I bought years ago. They make really special customizable gifts for close friends and family. You will be pleasantly surprised how easy and fast it is to cover one of these books in your favorite fabric.

Gather:
• An inexpensive scrapbook or album
• Enough fabric to cover it, plus 1” extra all around

• Patterned paper for the interior front and back cover

• Scissors

• Small decorative frame to attach to the album cover

• Photo for the frame

• Paper or fabric tag

• Ribbon

• Hot Glue

• Spray Adhesive

• Sizzix Die Cutting Machine and Dies (optional)
Create:
1. To cover your album with fabric, you can often disassemble the albums to separate the front and back cover, but we think that takes too long! This is the easy-breezy way to get the job done. Begin by cutting your fabric that you will use to cover your album.

2. I like to use spray adhesive to cover my album – just make sure you spray outside! Lay both your fabric and album open face down on a clean surface. Spray the back of the fabric and the front and back of the open album. Then, pick up your album and lay the sticky side down centered onto the flat fabric. Apply pressure all around the edges to adhere. Close the album. Smooth out any wrinkles – if there are big ones you have a few seconds to reposition your fabric before the glue dries.

3. Open the album again, and cut the corners of the fabric ¼” away from the corners of the album on the diagonal. This will make neater folds when you’re wrapping the fabric around to the inside of the album. Also cut two slits along the edge of your fabric the same width as the spine of your album. This is so you can fold this flap of fabric into the spine of your album for a neat edge.

4. Spray more adhesive along the interior edge of your open album cover, and begin to fold the extra fabric up, so it’s neatly wrapping from the outside to the inside of your book. Do this for all the edges on the front and back cover, as well as the little tabs on the spine.

5. Now take some patterned paper and use that to make neat end pages for the front and back covers of your album. This will cover the frayed edges of the wrapping fabric. Simply cut it about ¼” to ½” away from the interior edges, spray adhesive the back, and stick it down. Do this for both the front and back.

6. Now, to embellish the front cover, I had a little gold frame that I found at the flea market, and I printed a photo to fit perfectly inside it. You can use a frame like this, or a die cut paper frame for your photo – whatever you have on hand! Hot glue this to the center of your cover.

7. Die cut a tag in white fabric with a Sizzix die cutting machine, or with scissors. Make holes or slits in either end and string a thin ribbon through. Hot glue one end of the ribbon under the front cover, and the other end of the ribbon around to the back of the album.

8. Take a marker and write the name of the person that your album is for. Now you have a totally unique album or scrapbook!

I love using this fabric covering method for all kinds of projects. Try it on journals, address books, boxes, and more!

Winners, winners everywhere! Night Shade winners announced!

Wow, what fun stories y'all (our southern venacular) shared with us.  Several of you were trolls (must have been a trend), political figures, Elvis, super heros, large monkeys, cartoon characters and even a plate of spaghetti (gotta' confess that one made me hungry)!  Creativity abounds with our FreeSpirit blog followers. Sew, go forth and share the creativity especially our six randomly selected winners; normasclay, hiyacinth, Kaylee, Stacy, Jennie P and Meredith.  Congratulations!

Now let's perpare for June, the month of graduations, summer vacations, weddings and Dena Designs! Tell your friends to follow us because we are fun, fun, fun and we love to share our fabric with you.  Stay tuned!

Eye Candy and Sunshine from Dena Designs

Just a bit of inspiration for you and Sunshine to brighten your wintery day.  Dena Designs brings to FreeSpirit her bright stylings in a 55% Linen, 45% Cotton blend collection of 30 skus.  Can't you picture a summery dress for you and your daughter or grandaughter, airy curtains for your kitchen window or a light throw for your shabby chic decor?  Hmmmm, why not let a little Sunshine into your day!

Great Gift Ideas and a Gift For You!

The Holidays are sneaking up on everybody so we thought it would be a good idea to give you some quick and easy project ideas. Below are pictures of the Leanika Canvas Panels by Dena Designs. The entire pattern and directions come on a 1yd panel. There are two different patterns, one being a tote and one an apron. The tote straps are adjustable and the apron fits most sizes. They retail for around 10dollars so it makes for a fairly inexpensive gift. So if you are running late on your present making/buying this is a great idea that doesn't take much time at all!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

It just so happens we have an extra apron panel around here so comment with your favorite Holiday gift you enjoy making for others and you could be selected to win this apron panel! Don't forget to include your e-mail in your comment. Winner will be chosen on Thursday, Dec. 10th. Good luck!